The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay

Later it was discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle which led to abuse by bodybuilders, weightlifters, and athletes in other sports. Abuse of anabolic steroids can cause acne, breast development in men, heart attacks, and liver cancer. Most side effects are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some are permanent, such as voice deepening in females. Possible health consequences for men are infertility, shrinking of the testicles, and male-pattern baldness while with women enlargement of the clitoris, and excessive growth of body hair can happen. It can affect the musculoskeletal & cardiovascular system, liver, skin, cause infection, and have psychiatric effects such as rage, aggression, mania, and delusions. Treatment of anabolic steroid abuse uses medications to restore the hormonal system after its disruption, and medication to target specific withdrawal symptoms.

C. According to Daniel J. DeNoon, A WebMD Health News writer, he states for woman the effects are “ Growing excessive face and body hair, Have their voices deepen, Experience menstrual irregularities, and have reduced breast size.

Steroids (anabolic) are a drug that was discovered and made by medical scientists in the last 1930’s to help with medical problems. The drug was made to help with many medical problems such as testosterone, growth, sexual functioning, and other medical problems such as helping people with HIV to help grow musical. It also helps with many other diseases. Like any other drug on the market people learn that the drug can be used for many other ways. Steroids can enhance athlete’s performance as well as bodybuilders and is used in almost every sport out there. The use of steroids has become a widespread problem. Steroid use has caused many help problems with the misuse of the drug and has caused the drug to be illegal for people to use them in

The benefits of using some types of performance-enhancing drugs are obvious. Professional athletes have a very 'short shelf life' as competitors in most sports and must cash in on their talents as soon as possible. For Olympic athletes, the

Abstract:  With the increase of competition has also come the need to become bigger and stronger than the opponent.  The use of steroids among athletes has caused the focus of the game to change.  No longer does an athlete want to win by doing their best, but they want to become bigger and have an advantage over the opponent.  Ultimately, all athletes feel that they need to use performance-enhancing drugs to compete at the same level. Despite all of the warnings and information on performance-enhancing drugs, athletes continue to use them and overlook the potential health risks associated with steroids.

“…medical researchers believe that between 1 and 3 million youths and adults have taken anabolic steroids in one form or another specifically to enhance their looks or athletic performances,” stated Nuwer (Nuwer, 61). As astounding as these figures are, the number of performance drug users is steadily increasing. With this progressively increasing numbers, it is projected that millions more will use steroids in the immediate future (Newer, 61). Athletes have always sought an advantage in competition even if ignoring the law and their health if necessary. Using drugs of any sort to facilitate an athlete’s athletic ability should be illegal. The use of performance enhancing drugs is not only detrimental to the user but it also creates an

The most commonly discussed issue in sports of the 21st century is the use of performance enhancing drugs by professional athletes. Over the past four years, it has been nearly impossible to turn on the television without hearing something about athletes and these drugs. From former National League MVP Third Baseman Ken Caminiti's admission of steroid use in an issue of Sports Illustrated (Verducci, 2004) to 2006 Tour de France Champion Floyd Landis being stripped of title due to a failed doping test (Blue, 2006) virtually every sport is involved. Are performance enhancing drugs a substance that threatens the very existence of professional sports, or are they the future? Perhaps the issue

NIDA. "Anabolic Steroids." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 4 Mar. 2016, https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids. Accessed 29 Oct. 2017.

One of the many questions that have been asked by medical specialist are if training and diet of the person taking anabolic steroids influences the body. Thus, studies have

Negative effect of steroids is a broad category under which several health issues fall. This includes enlargement of the heart, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries atherosclerosis, heart palpitations, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Steroids were first invented in the 1930’s. The Germans experimented the steroids on their own dogs and their prisoners to stay fit and healthy because their prisoners suffered from malnutrition. In 1950’s many athletes came to know about the steroids. They came to know that steroids are very good for their sports as these can help them in achieving their goals with less effort. The athletes mainly used steroids for power lifting beating all the records of the past. It was then proven that testosterone was the only reason behind the magnificent results in the athletes. No sooner Dr. Ziegler and his workers in the lab started working on testosterone and tried to make it more and more refine and pure. After seeing the results of some athletes others started to use the steroid too. The use of steroid was so common that the steroid could be found easily everywhere. Then on March 1 1991 the federal anabolic control act was in effect putting anabolic steroids oh the schedule

Anabolic steroids are synthetic steroid hormones made to resemble testosterone. These drugs are not the only performance enhancing drugs (PED’s) out there. Some are not even steroids, such as: creatine, tamoxifen, propranolol, cox-2, albuterol, ephedrine, and erythpoietin. These performance enhancing drugs may be boosting the skill level in an athlete’s career, but it is doing no good to the health of the athlete himself. Multiple sports are having reports of athletes using PED’s including baseball, being one of the top sports for steroid usage, cycling, and mixed martial arts. The use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs has forever changed the face of professional sports, and its athletes, making it a world fueled by drug contacts instead of skill and talent. (10 performance enhancing drugs that are not steroids by William Harris)

However, steroids should remain illegal because they physically deteriorate the whole body system. When injected one risks the chances of developing hematoma and contracting AIDS. In women steroids contribute to the growth of facial hair, enlargements of the clitoris, shrinkage of the uterus, sterility, deepening of the voice, decrease in breast size and irregularity of the menstrual cycle. In men steroids cause shrinkage of the testicles, decrease in sperm count, sterility, impotence, prostate enlargement and growth of female breast. In both men and women hair loss, liver ailments, acne, atherosierosis and cancer are very common. This dangerous drug shortens the life span up to twenty years and increases the chance of obtaining diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The side effects and reactions from enduring anabolic steroids are endless.

In today’s society, athletes are revered as heroes. There is immense pressure to be the best. Athletes are willing to do whatever it takes to gain an edge, even if it means compromising their health. For almost three decades, athletes have been supplementing their strength program with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. To be sure, anabolic steroids are effective supplements to strength training programs, but there is no doubt that the consequences can be deleterious.

In today’s society in athletics, muscle mass and strength seem more important than in years past. It is believed that many athletes use anabolic steroids to increase their muscle mass and also their strength. Anabolic steroids are a group of synthetic hormones that promote the storage of proteins and the growth of tissue, sometimes used by athletes to increase muscle size and strength. Before the mid 1970’s the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) was used mainly by highly trained athletes especially those involved in weight training. Since then other athletes including those involved in recreational sports and non-competitive sports have started using the steroids. Steroids are also being used by many school age children